The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-14
Origion of the Bald Robbers.

Origion of the Bald Robbers
The Bald Knobbers did not originate
in Christian county. but down in Tan
ey, near the Arkansas line. 1t wa,
originally band of regulators banded
TO aid In the enforcement of law, bu
il went the way Of every organization
of the kind ever instituted to take thu,
law into its own hands. II was neces
sarly kept secret, and under secrecy
the evil-minded members soon gained
the upper hand, and the regulators
were soon regulating private grudge'
and arbitrating very primevelly be-
tween quarrelling parties, always
against the party who happened not to
be a regulator. They took their nam,
from meeting place of the regulators
on top of knob or knole bare of tim
Der called bald knob. The organiza
ton soon spread from fancy county in
to Douglas and this county. 1t spread
like all movements in a course witt
the waterways of the country. 1t camt
up Bull and Swan creeks, and further
up it came the worse it got, until her,
in this county the people were absolute
ly terrorized and afraid, as the saying
is, ito say their souls were their own.
Persons Objectionable to certain partie
in the order were pulled out of bed in
the middle of the night and whipped
with hicory switches and ordered to
leave the country. Often times the
reason of the visit was given More
often il was not. 1t came to such a
pass that every one was in dread of 6
visit from the Bald Knobbers, and mem.
bers of the order had things their own
way through dark hints and threats of
what they could do if they wanted to
use their power. The old ku kluxers
were but little worse. and there is no
doubt that the Bald Knobbers would
have outdone them in their regulatory
proceedings had not the officers so
promptly got after these lawless en-
forcers of the law and broke the back.
bone of the organization. When the
Bald Knobbers first began operations
here they were either openly applaud
cd for their work or were allowed Ia
go on with it without protest. They
executed the laws freely, and in being
permitted to do so gained strength,
while the respect for the law on theil
part decreased.
Bald Knobbers are bound by an oath
not to reveal anything connected with
the organization, to obey the captain OF
leader in anything he may direct. This
oath is taken in some lonely spot in the
woods, on the top of some steep knot
or in an old cave at midnight. lie
stands in the middle of Il circle of Bald
Knobbers, and with their masks on and
guns in their hands. Over his head the
limb of tree stretches and on tina
limb rope hangs down. A loop il
made at one end, and the Others pull a
the other end until the rope almost
strangles him. Then standing on his
tip-toes, with his right hand held ur
straight, with his left hand over hi'
heart and with a cooked shotgun at hi
breast, he swears never to divulge and
always keep the secrets of the order, To
always obey the orders of the leader,
lat any and all times, in any and al
things, failing in which he hopes he
may be killed dead by the most horri-
tble methods, and then the circle o
masked men repeat the words, dead,
dead" dead and he is given tn,
hand of fellowship.
The legion to which the greater mum
Der of those arrested last week belong
ed met and initiated members in de
serted smelter, down near Chadwick
fire being built in the center of TIN
place and the members standing arounC
it in circle. Many men have beer
forced to join the order to protect them
selves, aud others. through fear, have
left the country. The Bald Knobbers
proceedings in this county have beer
pretty well ventilated, but they are still
dominant in fancy county, where thu
adopts of the order and all the bis
leaders hail from. Mostly all the Bale
Knobbers arrested are poor ignorant
men. who scarcely realize the enormity
of the offence charged against them
Twenty-eight men could not raise 81,
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